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NEBOSH ‘incredibly helpful’ with new Italian job

When Flavio Noè was given the opportunity to take on a completely different kind of health and safety role to the one he had known for more than 20 years, he was understandably a little uncertain.

With a Masters Degree in Industrial Chemistry and many years of experience working as a Health and Safety Manager at an Italian pharmaceutical company, Flavio had amassed a high degree of specialist knowledge. For him, stepping into a role at one of Italy’s best known amusement parks, Gardaland on the shores of Lake Garda, was a big leap outside of his comfort zone.

The tourist attraction employs 2,000 workers in the summer months to serve the large volume of visitors it attracts each year. Health and safety is crucial to the success of the park.

“When I took my new role, suddenly it was not just about workers, which was my main focus in my previous role. Now it was about members of the public too. I found myself facing a huge number of risks compared to the chemical factory where the risks were high, but quite limited in number,” explained Flavio.

Flavio found that it was now his responsibility to “give everyone the opportunity to work and to spend the day safely.” Faced with this completely different working environment, Flavio was keen to reinforce and expand his professional capabilities to support his transition d Srl - Merlin Entertainment Group to his new role.

Luckily Gardaland have impressive training programmes in place for its workers and support continued professional development for its safety team.

Having researched the options open to him, and with the backing of his employer, Flavio decided the NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety was the right choice for him.

Many of his colleagues had completed the NEBOSH Diploma previously and recommended it based on their own experience. Flavio was also impressed by the qualification’s widespread international recognition.

“When you have worked in the same job as I had done for many years, there are many aspects of it you do not really consider anymore, because they become normal. For me, studying for my NEBOSH Diploma refreshed my knowledge and allowed me to develop different approaches and adopt some new tools in my job. The Diploma taught me ways to approach any kind of problem, regardless of whether I have faced it previously in my career to date.”

Flavio studied English in his youth which really helped him when studying for his Diploma. He says NEBOSH has been “incredibly helpful” in his new role.

“Having the opportunity to learn and then understand an approach that is different to the one we normally take here in Italy has been enriching. It has helped me to face a whole range of issues in a far more effective way.”

Flavio is keen to further his professional development and has discovered a particular interest in behavioural safety from his studies. Understanding human behaviour and ways to lead and influence people and improve health and safety culture is important. I am a person who wants to grow continuously and I feel inspired to carry on developing my health and safety competencies.”